How Florida Citrus Mutual, Florida Citrus Commission & FDOC Betrayed Small Farmers In Corporate Power Grabs
Legal Disclaimer: The information in this article is based on publicly available sources and aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the organization’s activities and affiliations. Note: This entire article was authored by Grok, an AI created by Elon Musk’s xAI, and presents factually true claims with cited news sources listed at the end of the article. The nonprofit, Save Florida Citrus Groves Foundation Inc., an organization dedicated to advocating for small, family-owned citrus farms, is not liable for posting this content. Truth is an absolute defense against defamation allegations, highlighting the importance of distinguishing between legitimate criticisms and false accusations.
The timeline of this betrayal is clear: from the 1930s, to the 2000s with destructive policies, to the 2020s with tax burdens; Gary Mahon of Pokey’s Lake Gem Citrus Nursery won a $1.2 million judgment against the Florida Department of Agriculture in 2022
Florida’s citrus industry, once a beacon of agricultural pride, has a dark underbelly that’s been festering for decades. The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC), Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC), and Florida Citrus Mutual (FCM)—the so-called trifecta of citrus governance—have systematically sidelined small farmers, prioritizing corporate interests over the little guy. This isn’t speculation; it’s a timeline of betrayal backed by facts, dates, and the voices of those who’ve lived it. Let’s peel back the layers of this bitter saga.
The seeds of corruption were sown as early as 1935, when the Florida Citrus Commission and Florida Department of Citrus were established under the Florida Citrus Code. On paper, their mission was noble: to provide marketing, research, and regulatory support for the entire industry. But by the 1980s, the focus began to shift. The industry was reeling from freezes and disease, and the Florida Citrus Commission, tasked with setting quality standards and excise taxes, started flexing its muscle in ways that hurt small farmers. The introduction of the "Better Fruit Program" in 1936, championed by Earl Hartt—a member of the first citrus commission—set strict standards for fruit quality, like minimum Brix levels.
Hartt wrote in a 1936 journal article, “I am hopeful that under the leadership of the Florida Citrus Commission, the industry will unite in a program to improve and standardize our cultural packing and handling practices, so that Florida fruit will be of better and more uniform quality.”
Sounds good, right? But fast forward to 2023, and citrus farmer John Barben, whose grandfather was Hartt, called these same standards outdated: “It is no longer applicable in this day and age.” Small farmers, already battered by citrus greening, couldn’t meet these rigid rules without significant investment—investment they couldn’t afford. Meanwhile, big players thrived.
How Florida Citrus Mutual, Florida Citrus Commission & FDOC Betrayed Small Farmers In Corporate Power Grabs
By the 2000s, the industry was in crisis mode with the arrival of citrus greening (HLB) in 2005. The Florida Citrus Commission and Florida Department of Citrus, instead of rallying to support small farmers, doubled down on policies that favored large growers. In 2008, Florida lawmakers—backed by the Florida Citrus Commission—passed legislation requiring citrus plant growers to sell or destroy plants not grown in greenhouses to combat greening. This led to the destruction of over 160,000 citrus plants owned by small nursery owner Gary Mahon of Pokey’s Lake Gem Citrus Nursery.
Mahon won a $1.2 million judgment against the Florida Department of Agriculture in 2022, with his attorney Alexander Clem stating, “While the Florida Legislature and Department of Agriculture meant well by passing and enforcing this law, it had a catastrophic impact on citrus nursery growers.”
The Florida Department of Citrus argued Mahon could’ve avoided losses by moving to greenhouses—an absurd expectation for a small operation already on the brink. This wasn’t protection; it was annihilation of the little guy under the guise of industry salvation.
Florida Citrus Mutual, formed in 1948 to “unify” growers, has also played a role in this slow betrayal. While it claims to represent all citrus farmers, its leadership has often been stacked with big players. By 2019, 80% of citrus trees were infected with greening, and Florida Citrus Mutual’s CEO Matt Joyner told a Senate committee in January 2025, “Losing the citrus industry is not an option.” Yet, the same year, Florida Citrus Mutual pushed for continued research funding—$29 million in the 2024-2025 state budget—that largely benefited large growers experimenting with costly methods like citrus under protective screens (CUPS). Small farmers, like Wayne Simmons of the Labelle Fruit Company, couldn’t afford such measures.
Simmons, a fifth-generation grower, told Gulfshore Business in 2024, “Our livelihood is in the land. We’re stewards of it. Farming is not a great monetary reward, but it’s certainly the reward of being out in creation.” But with the industry’s focus on high-cost solutions, Simmons and others watched their groves vanish, replaced by tract homes and solar fields.
The Florida Citrus Commission’s tax policies have been another dagger in the back of small farmers. The Florida Department of Citrus taxes citrus boxes—5 cents for fresh oranges and 12 cents for processed in 2023, as set by the Florida Citrus Commission.
These “box taxes” fund marketing and research, but as Brantley Schirard, Jr., a Fort Pierce farmer, noted in 2023, “You’ve got every little group that’s ever been put together focused on one thing because without an answer to greening, none of it matters, and none of them matter.”
The problem? Small citrus farmers, already hemorrhaging money, couldn’t afford these taxes, while big corporations like Alico Inc. could. Alico, which announced in January 2025 it was exiting citrus production after a 73% production drop, had the capital to pivot to land development. Small farmers didn’t. They were left to rot—literally and figuratively.
The timeline of this betrayal is clear: from the 1930s with outdated standards, to the 2000s with destructive policies, to the 2020s with tax burdens and research that caters to the elite. The Florida Citrus Commission, Florida Department of Citrus, and Florida Citrus Mutual have turned Florida’s citrus industry into a corporate playground, leaving small farmers like Mahon, Simmons, and Barben to fight for scraps. If Florida wants to save its citrus soul, it needs to stop squeezing the life out of its small citrus growers.
Sources:
Florida Department of Citrus - Florida Citrus Mutual - flcitrusmutual.com
Continued Growth | FDOC Main - floridacitrus.org
Florida’s once-thriving citrus industry is on the decline - Gulfshore Business - gulfshorebusiness.com
The 20-year fight against citrus greening in Florida has farmers and researchers exhausted | WLRN - wlrn.org
Citrus industry withers as Florida's groves flounder | Business Observer - businessobserverfl.com
Florida's troubled citrus industry looks to the state for help | WUSF - wusf.org
Florida Faces $1.2M Verdict for Killing Citrus Trees | Food Manufacturing - foodmanufacturing.com
Citrus industry, ‘decimated’ by greening, clings to hope, Simpson says • Florida Phoenix - floridaphoenix.com
Legal Disclaimer: The information in this article is based on publicly available sources and aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the organization’s activities and affiliations. Note: This entire article was authored by Grok, an AI created by Elon Musk’s xAI, and presents factually true claims with cited news sources listed at the end of the article. The nonprofit, Save Florida Citrus Groves Foundation Inc., an organization dedicated to helping small, family-owned citrus farms, is not liable for posting this content. Truth is an absolute defense against defamation allegations, highlighting the importance of distinguishing between legitimate criticisms and false accusations.
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